Ticket-vending apparatus

ABSTRACT

Improvement in vending apparatus for vending various kinds of tickets, wherein any selected stamp out of a group of stamps arranged on a stamp-holder surface, such as a cylindrical surface of a stamp-drum or a surface of an endless belt, is accurately driven to the printing position and is properly fed by ink, regardless of the position of such stamp when the selection is made. By means of such function, the apparatus is always able to print tickets clearly and precisely, even after a long interval of the printing operation.

United States Patent Minami et al.

[151 3,635,155 [451 Jan. 18, 1972 TICKET-VENDING APPARATUS Inventors: Noriaki Minami; Tamotu Okawa; Yoshlomi llzima, all of Kyoto, Japan Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Co., Kyoto,

Japan Filed: Sept. 15, 1969 Appl.No.: 857,756

Foreign Application Priority Data References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1958 Gottscho ..l01/l10X 7/1964 Howard ....;101/l10 X 7/1964 Brown et al 101/99 Primary Examiner1-lugh R. Chamblee Attorney-Craig, Antonelli & Hill 57 ABSTRACT Improvement in vending apparatus for vending various kinds of tickets, wherein any selected stamp out of a group of stamps ept 968 Japan 43/66485 arranged on a stamp-holder surface, such as a cylindrical sur- US C face of a stamp-drum or a surface of an endless belt, is acculnL f rately driven to the printing position and is properly fed by Field s 110 0 61 ink, regardless of the position of such stamp when the selec- 6 2 'tion is made. By means of such function, the apparatus is always able to print tickets clearly and precisely, even after a long interval of the printing operation.

8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures l3 I2 2F. 2 1

I M 5 RI SW1 Q 7 ss4 F 2 B 2 D 26 3 Cl 4| Pmmmmam 3.635.155

SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTO NoRIAKI IA/ I, TAMOTM OKAWA a d YoSHIoM AT TO R NEYS TICKET-VENDING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Recently ticket-vending apparatuses have come into wide use, for instance, in railway stations. Efforts are being made to increase the kinds of tickets and to shorten the time required for printing and discharging them by these apparatuses. Especially in the case of ticket-vending apparatus in the railway station, it is desired that such an apparatus vend many kinds of tickets and that the selected kind of ticket be obtainable quickly. Moreover, in case of a railway ticket-vending apparatus which is able to vend tickets of different prices, a confusion of the kind of ticket should be absolutely avoided, notwithstanding the improved speed of vending.

In a ticket-vending apparatus in which a ticket is printed by a stamp selected from a group of stamps fixed on the surface of a stamp-holder and placed in the printing position in compliance with a selection made by a buyer, an increase in the number of stamps to be fixed on the surface of the stampholder is required so as to increase the number of different kinds of tickets to be vended. However, the more the number of stamps increases, the more accuracy is required for stopping the stamp-holder so that a selected stamp stops exactly at the printing position. Such accuracy of stopping must not interfere with the desired high speed of driving of the stamp-holder so as to enable the apparatus to vend a ticket in a short time. Besides, a reliable inking system is required to ensure clear printing at all times for any selected stamp.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved ticket-vending apparatus. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved ticket-vending apparatus capable of printing tickets always clearly and accurately. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved ticket-vending apparatus having a failproof system to avoid erroneous or defective ticket printing.

The ticket-vending apparatus according to the present invention has a feature that, when an angle of rotation of the stamp-holder from a position where it rests as the selection is made to the printing position is smaller than a preset prohibition angle, stopping of the rotation of the stamp-holder is delayed by means of a delay means. Such delay means comprises a pair of rotary switches operating with a preset phasedifference between them and a relay network.

Owing to said feature, tickets can be printed always clearly and accurately, regardless of a position of a selected stamp when the selection is made.

Besides, in accordance with the present invention, such feature can be attained with the rotary switches having a comparatively small number of contacts.

In addition, this apparatus has another feature of failproof function which avoids the printing and discharging of incorrect tickets, even when the inking fails, when a stamp stops at an inaccurate position or when a wrong stamp comes to the printing position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description of the specific embodiment taken in conjunction with the dravw'ng wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the principal part of the ticketvending apparatus according to the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In FIG. 1, a group of stamps 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F are fixed on the surface of a stamp-holder, that is, on the cylindrical surface of a stamp-drum 1 rotatable around its shaft 3, at even intervals. A stamp-llding belt having a group of the stamps fixed at even intervals on its surface may be used instead of the above stamp-drum. A cam 4 having indents M at even intervals corresponding to those of stamps 2A through 2F is fixed to the stamp-drum 1. When the above suggested stamp-holding belt is employed, such a cam should be coupled to the axis of the driving means, so as to rotate once, while the belt rotates once. A detent 5 is provided at the tip of a lever 51 which is fulcrumed by a pin 6 and linked to a selection solenoid 7, so as to be thrown into the indent 41 to stop the rotation of the stamp-drum 1 when the selection solenoid 7 is energized. A reset spring 8 is provided to pull the detent 5 out of the indent 41 when the selection solenoid 7 is deenergized. A confirmation switch SS4 is coupled to the lever 51, so as to switch over while the detent 5 exactly lies in the indent 41.

An inking roller 9 is provided on the tip of the lever 13 fulcrumed by a pin 12 and linked to an inking solenoid 14, so as to be driven to touch one of the stamps 2A to 2F when the inking solenoid 14 is energized. A reset spring 20 is provided to pull the inking roller 9 out from the stamp (2A to 2F) and to make the roller touch the ink feeding roller 11a when the inking solenoid 14 is deenergized. Another ink feeding roller 11!; driven by a driving means coupled to the drum driving means (not shown in the drawing) and the other ink feeding roller 11c immersed in an ink bath 10 cooperatively knead and feed ink to said ink feeding roller 1 1a.

A stamping hammer 15 is provided facing the stamp in the printing position, and a printing solenoid 16 is linked thereto so as to press a part of a roll of paper 21 to the stamp (2A to 2F) to print therewith when energized. The printed roll paper 21 is then conveyed by a feed roller 30 driven by motor 35 and passes between cutter blades 17 and 1B, which cut the printed paper 21 in a proper size when its solenoid 19 is energized.

A contact disc 22 having a group of radially arranged contacts A1, B1, C1, D1, El, F1 and the other group of radially arranged contacts A2, B2, C2, D2, E2, F2 is coupled to the stamp-drum l, and the contacts are located in angular intervals corresponding to those of stamps 2A to 2F. Fixed brushes R1 and R2 are provided so as to touch the radially arranged contacts of the respective groups A1 to F1 and A2 to F2 as the stamp-drum rotates. Thus, the former group of contacts and the brush R1 constitute a rotary switch SW1, and the latter group of contacts and the brush R2 constitute a rotary switch SW2. As is shown in the drawing, there is a preset phase difference between the contactings by brush R1 and R2 to the respective corresponding contacts. Such preset phase difference should be selected to exceed the angle of rotation from the inking position where the inking roller 11a touches a stamp to the printing position. For instance, the phase difference in this example is set at The contacts Al to F1 and A2 to F2 have respective connection means for connection with an electric circuit, but such connection means are not an essential part of the invention and, therefore, are omitted from FIG. 1.

The electric control system of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is explained hereunder referring to FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, marks XA3a, XB3a, XC3a, XD3a, XE3a and XF3a, respectively, indicate selection switches for selecting the kind of ticket. One end of each of those selection switches is connected to the contacts A1 to F1 of the switch SW1 and to the contacts A2 to F2 of the switch SW2, respectively. The selection switches are preferably constituted in such a way that only one of them can be closed at a time, in order to avoid a. possible confusion in operation. Brush R1 is connected through a resistor rll to a control electrode g1 of a semiconductor switching device TRI, and brush R2 is connected through another resistor r2 to a control electrode g2 of another semiconductor switching device TR2. Either of said semiconductor switching devices TRll and TR2 may be a device which is made conductive when a triggering signal is applied to its control electrode gll or 32. Such semiconductor switching devices as bilateral trigger diodes, triode AC switches or bidirectional diode thyristors may be used.

An inking relay XlPl is connected across power source terminals 31 and 32 of a power source 33 through the switching device TRl and a reset contact Y, and the inking solenoid M is connected across the power source terminals 31 and 32 through a normally open contact XPlla of the inking relay XPl. The selection solenoid 7 is connected across the power source terminals 31 and 32 through the switching device TR2, a normally open contact XPl3a of the inking relay XPl and a normally closed contact XP4lb of a mishap alarm relay XP4. The switches SW1 and SW2, the switching devices TRl and TR2, together with the relays XPl and XPZ constitute a delay means. The delay means delays the stopping operation of the selection solenoid 7, when the angle of rotation of the stampdrum 1 from the position where it rests as the selection is made to the printing position is smaller than a preset prohibition angle, until the angle of rotation exceeds the preset prohibition angle and the selected stamp comes to the printing position. The alarm relay XP4 is a relay which is energized to make an alarm in an accident when the detent 5 does not come off as normally after deenergization of the selection solenoid 7. A retention relay XP2 is connected in parallel with the selection solenoid 7, and its normally open contact XP21a is connected in parallel with the contact XP13a. Across the switching device TRl is connected in series the normally closed contact b of the confirmation switch SS4 and a normally open contact XP12a of the inking relay XPl. And, the common terminal of the switch SS4 is connected to the terminal 31. To the normally open contact a of the confirmation switch SS4 is connected the alarm relay XP4 through a normally closed contact XP22b of the retention relay XPZ, and also to said contact a of the confirmation switch SS4 is connected the programmer relay XP3 through a normally open contact XP22a of the retention relay XPZ. Other ends of the relays XP2 and XP3 are connected to the terminal 32 through the reset contact Y. A drum motor SM for driving the stampdrum 1 is connected across the power source terminals 31 and 32 through a self-retaining-type main switch XPS and the reset contact Y. The main switch XPS is constituted to close in response to incoming appropriate coin or coins from its slot (not shown in the drawing) and remain closed while current flows in it. The junction point of the main switch XPS and the drum motor SM is connected to the commonly connected ends of the selection switches XA3a to XF3a. A programmer PM for controlling the operation of the printing solenoid 16, the cutter solenoid l9 and the feeding motor 35 is connected across the power source terminals 31 and 32 through a normally open contact XP3la of the programmer relay XP3 and the reset contact Y. A normally closed reset contact Y is coupled to the programmer PM so as to be opened for a short time when a ticket-vending process is over.

The operation of the above apparatus is elucidated hereunder:

ORDINARY OPERATION 1. In response to incoming coin orcoins from the slot, the main contact XPS closes resulting in starting the rotations of drum motor SM, cam 4 and the contact disc 22.

2. One of the selection switches is selectively closed by means of a manual operation. We take an example hereunder for instance that the selection switch XC3a is closed.

3. As the contact disc 22 rotates brush R1 of the switch SW1 comes to touch the contact Cl, and accordingly forms a triggering circuit of the switching device TRl from terminal 31 toward the main switch XPS-selection switch SC3acontact C1brush R1rcsistor r1 and up to the control electrode g1 of the switching device TRl. Therefore, the inking relay XPl is energized by conduction of the switching device TRl, thereby closing the normally open contacts XPl la, XP12a and XPl3a.

4. As a consequence of the above closing of contact XPl la, the inking solenoid 14 becomes energized, and therefore, the stamps (2A to 2F) are inked in sequence by the inking roller 9 as the drum 1 rotates, until deenergization of the solenoid 14.

5. Because the brushes Rl and R2 touch in sequence the corresponding radially arranged contacts in the switches SW! and SW2 at a preset phase difi'erence of i.e., 3 contacts interval in this example, the brush R2 of the switch SW2 touches the contact C2 when the brush Ri of the switch SW1 touches the contact Fl. Consequently, the triggering circuit of the switching device TRZ is formed from the terminal 31 toward the main switch XPS-selection switch XC3a-contact C2brush R2- resistor r2and up to the control electrode g2 of the switching device TR2.

6. As a result, a circuit from the terminal 3i toward the contact Xll3acontact XP tllb-switching device TR2- selection solenoid 7reset contact Y and up to the terminal 32 is closed, thereby energizing the selection solenoid 7 and stopping the stamp-drum ll so that its stamp 2C is placed in the printing position as shown in FIG. 1.

7. At the same time,.the selfretaining relay XP2 is energized and retains itself by means of closing its contact XPZlla, and thereby retains the drum I stopped.

8. By an insertion to a proper position of the detent 5 into the indent 41 of the cam 4 when the solenoid 7 operates, the confirmation switch SS4 switches from contact 12 to control a shown by a broken line in FIG. 2).

9. As a consequence, a circuit from the terminal 31 toward the contact a of the confirmation switch SS4-contact XP22a-programmer relay XPEl-reset contact Y and up to the terminal 32 is formed, and thereby energizes the programmer relay XP3. Accordingly, the contact XPEla closes, and therefore, the programmer PM starts to drive the printing solenoid 16, the feeding motor 311 and the cutter solenoid l9 in a preset sequence and time intervals, so that a ticket is printed by the stamp 2c and discharged.

10. Subsequent to the above discharging of the ticket, the selection switch XC3a is reset by a resetting signal from the programmer PM, and the resetting switch Y is made open for a short time also by the programmer PM.

SKlP ROTATlON OF THE STAMP DRUM 1 1. In the case where an angle of rotation of the stamp-drum 1 from a position where it rests as a selection is made to the printing position is smaller than a preset prohibition angle, like in this example where the printing of a ticket with a stamp 2D is desired immediately after the printing of a ticket by the stamp 2C and the prohibition angle is set at 180, the stamp drum l stops at a selected position after rotating 360 skipping once the selected stopping position nearest the position where it rests as the selection is made.

12. Namely, when the main switch XPS and the selection switch XD3a are closed immediately after the printing with the stamp 2C, the brush R1 of the switch SW1 leaves the contact F1, and then touches the contact D1 as the stamp-drum 1 rotates. While the switch SW2 touches contact D2 prior to this, actuating switches device Tr2, solenoid 7 and relay XP2 will not operate because contact XP13a is open.

13. When the brush R1 touches the contact DI, the triggering circuit of the switching device Trl from the terminal 31 toward the main switch XP5-selection switch XD3a-contact Dl-brush Rllresistor rl and up to the control electrode 31 of the switching device TR! is formed, thereby energizing the inking relay XPl, and accordingly closing the contacts XPlla, XPl2a and XPlSa.

14. Because the brush R2 lags by 180 phase difference behind the brush R1, the stamp-drum l rotates 180 more until the brush R2 touches the contact D2.

15. On touching of the brush R2 to the contact D2, the switching device TR2 is made conductive by formation of the triggering circuit from the terminal Ill toward the main switch XPS-selection switch XD3a-contact D2- brush R2-resistor r2 and up to the control electrode 32 of the switching device TRZ.

16. As a result, the solenoid 7 is energized, and therefore, the stamp drum is stopped in a position where the stamp D is p a hsrtis iasss t s As a conclusion, the stamp-drum l in this case rotates 420, i.e., 360 plus an angle of 60 from the stamp C to the stamp D. The prohibition angle can be set at an angle of the phase lag of the brush R2 behind the brush Ril. By setting the prohibition angle properly, even when the selected stamp rests posterior to the position where the inking roller 9 inks when the selection is made, the selected stamp rotates more than 360 and can be surely inked by the inking roller 9, and moreover, the stamp-drum ll can reach the designed rotation speed by the time when the detent 5 is thrown into the selected indent 41 thereby ensuring exact and reiiable stopping of the stampdrum ll even when rotation speed is designed very high. To en sure such function, the prohibition angle should be selected to exceed the angle of rotation from the inking position where inking roller llia touches a stamp to the printing position.

IN MlSHAPS 17. When the inking relay XlPll does not normally operate, the selection solenoid 7 is not energized even after closing of one of the selection switches XAEia to XF3a and of the main switch XPS, because contact XPiZia does not close. Therefore, stamp-drum ll does not stop, and moreover, neither the printing solenoid to nor the cutter solenoid 19 works at all. Thus, even when the inking relay XPil has a mishap, there is no trouble of discharging blank tickets through misfeeding of ink to the stamp.

18. When the detent 5 fails to be properly thrown in the indent dll, the printing is not done, because the confirmation switch SS4 does not switch, and therefore, the programmer relay XPZi is not energized. Thus, the trouble of printing foul tickets by a stamp or stamps which are not properly placed in the printing position can be avoided.

19. When the detent 5 is accidentally caught in the indent it after deenergization of the selection solenoid 7, the alarm relay Xlld operates to make an alarm as a result of formation of a circuit from the terminal 3l-toward the contact a of the confirmation switch l -contact XP22balarm relay XPd-reset contact Y and up to the terminal 32. Thus, the trouble of wrongly printing a ticket with the previously selected stamp 2C due to accidental catch and resultant stop of the stamp-drum can be avoided.

What is claimed is:

l. A ticket-vending apparatus comprising:

a stamp-holder having a group of stamps fixed on its surface, and means for driving said stamp-holder to rotate in one specified direction,

selection means for selecting a stamp to be stopped at a printing position,

stopping means responsive to said selection means for stopping the rotation of the stamp-holder when the selected stamp comes to the printing position,

delay means for delaying the operation of said stopping means, .when the angle of rotation of the stamp-holder from the position where it rests as the selection is made to the printing position is smaller than a preset prohibition angle, until said angle of rotation exceeds the prohibition angle and the selected stamp comes to the printing position, and

means for printing a ticket with the selected stamp positioned in the printing position and discharging the printed ticket.

2. A ticket-vending apparatus defined in claim ll, wherein said delay means comprises:

the first rotary switch having radially arranged contacts respectively connected to corresponding selection switches of the selecting means, and having a brush which touches said radially arranged contacts in sequence,

the second rotary switch having radially arranged contacts respectively connected to said corresponding selection switches in common with the corresponding contacts of the first rotary switch, and having a brush which touches said radially arranged contacts in sequence lagging by a preset phase difference behind the brush of the first rotary switch,

The first switching device having a control electrode connected to the brush of the first rotary switch so as to receive a triggering signal through the brush of the first rotary switch and the radially arranged contact touched by this brush,

The second switching device having a control electrode connected to the brush of the second rotary switch so as to receive a triggering signal through the brush of the second rotary switch and the radially arranged contact touched by this brush,

the first relay connected across a power source in series with the first switching device, and

the second relay connected across the power source in series with the second switching device and with a normally open contact of said first relay.

3. A ticket'vending apparatus defined in claim 2, which further comprises:

an inking means which inks a selected stamp prior to positioning the stamp in the printing position, being caused by a touching of the brush to the radially arranged contact of the first rotary switch connected to the seiectively closed selection switch.

4. A ticket-vending apparatus defined in claim ll, wherein said stopping means comprises:

a cam coupled to the stamp-holder and having indents corresponding to locations of stamps,

a detent to be thrown by a driving means into one of the indents of the cam to stop the rotation of the stamp-holder.

5. A ticket-vending apparatus defined in claim 4, which further comprises a confirmation switch which switches over to make a confirmation signal while the detent exactly lies in the indent.

b. A ticket-vending apparatus defined in claim 5, wherein a means for printing and discharging tickets has a suspending means which suspends the operation of said means when the confirmation which fails to switch over.

7. A ticket-vending apparatus comprising:

a stamp-holder which has a group of stamps fixed on its surface, and is driven to rotate in one specified direction,

a selection means for selecting a stamp to be stopped at the printing position, which means comprises selection switches respectively corresponding to the stamps,

a cam coupled to the stamp-holder and having indents corresponding to locations of stamps,

a detent to be thrown by a driving means into one of the indents of the cam to stop the rotation of the stamp-holder,

the first rotary switch having radially arranged contacts respectively connected to corresponding selection switches of the selecting means, and having a brush which touches the radially arranged contacts in sequence,

The secondary rotary switch having radially arranged contacts respectively connected to said corresponding selection switches in common with the corresponding contacts of the first rotary switch, and having a brush which touches said radially arranged contacts in sequence lagging by a preset phase difference behind the brush of the first rotary switch,

The first switching device having a control electrode connected to the brush of the first rotary switch so as to receive a triggering signal through the brush of the first rotary switch and the radially arranged contact touched by this brush,

The second switching device having a control electrode connected to the brush of the second rotary switch so as to receive a triggering signal through the brush of the second rotary switch and the radially arranged contact touched by this brush,

The first relay connected across a power source in series with the first switch ng device, and

suspending operation of said means when the confirmation switch fails to switch over and to make said confirmation signal.

8. A ticket-vending apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein the stamp-holder is a rotatable drum which has a group of stamps fixed around its cylindrical surface and is driven to rotate around its axis in one specified direction.

* 10' k i l 

1. A ticket-vending apparatus comprising: a stamp-holder having a group of stamps fixed on its surface, and means for driving said stamp-holder to rotate in one specified direction, selection means for selecting a stamp to be stopped at a printing position, stopping means responsive to said selection means for stopping the rotation of the stamp-holder when the selected stamp comes to the printing position, delay means for delaying the operation of said stopping means, when the angle of rotation of the stamp-holder from the position where it rests as the selection is made to the printing position is smaller than a preset prohibition angle, until said angle of rotation exceeds the prohibition angle and the selected stamp comes to the printing position, and means for printing a ticket with the selected stamp positioned in the printing position and discharging the printed ticket.
 2. A ticket-vending apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said delay means comprises: the first rotary switch having radially arranged contacts respectively connected to corresponding selection switches of the selecting means, and having a brush which touches said radially arranged contacts in sequence, the second rotary switch having radially arranged contacts respectively connected to said corresponding selection switches in common with the corresponding contacts of the first rotary switch, and having a brush which touches said radially arranged contacts in sequence lagging by a preset phase difference behind the brush of the first rotary switch, The first switching device having a control electrode connected to the brush of the first rotary switch so as to receive a triggering signal through the brush of the first rotary switch and the radially arranged contact touched by this brush, The second switching device having a control electrode connected to the brush of the second rotary switch so as to receive a triggering signal through the brush of the second rotary switch and the radially arranged contact touched by this brush, the first relay connected across a power source in series with the first switching device, and the second relay connected across the power source in series with the second switching device and with a normally open contact of said first relay.
 3. A ticket vending apparatus defined in claim 2, which further comprises: an inking means which inks a selected stamp prior to positioning the stamp in the printing position, being caused by a touching of the brush to the radially arranged contact of the first rotary switch connected to the selectively closed selection switch.
 4. A ticket-vending apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said stopping means comprises: a cam coupled to the stamp-holder and having indents corresponding to locations of stamps, a detent to be thrown by a driving means into one of the indents of the cam to stop the rotation of the stamp-holder.
 5. A ticket-vending apparatus defined in claim 4, which further comprises a confirmation switch which switches over to make a confirmation signal while the detent exactly lies in the indent.
 6. A ticket-vending apparatus defined in claim 5, wherein a means for printing and discharging tickets has a suspending means which suspends the operation of said means when The confirmation which fails to switch over.
 7. A ticket-vending apparatus comprising: a stamp-holder which has a group of stamps fixed on its surface, and is driven to rotate in one specified direction, a selection means for selecting a stamp to be stopped at the printing position, which means comprises selection switches respectively corresponding to the stamps, a cam coupled to the stamp-holder and having indents corresponding to locations of stamps, a detent to be thrown by a driving means into one of the indents of the cam to stop the rotation of the stamp-holder, the first rotary switch having radially arranged contacts respectively connected to corresponding selection switches of the selecting means, and having a brush which touches the radially arranged contacts in sequence, The secondary rotary switch having radially arranged contacts respectively connected to said corresponding selection switches in common with the corresponding contacts of the first rotary switch, and having a brush which touches said radially arranged contacts in sequence lagging by a preset phase difference behind the brush of the first rotary switch, The first switching device having a control electrode connected to the brush of the first rotary switch so as to receive a triggering signal through the brush of the first rotary switch and the radially arranged contact touched by this brush, The second switching device having a control electrode connected to the brush of the second rotary switch so as to receive a triggering signal through the brush of the second rotary switch and the radially arranged contact touched by this brush, The first relay connected across a power source in series with the first switching device, and the second relay connected across the power source in series with the second switching device and with a normally open contact of said first relay, a confirmation switch which switches over to make a confirmation signal while the detent exactly lies into the indent, and a means for printing a ticket with the selected stamp positioned in the printing position and discharging the printed ticket, which means having a suspending means for suspending operation of said means when the confirmation switch fails to switch over and to make said confirmation signal.
 8. A ticket-vending apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein the stamp-holder is a rotatable drum which has a group of stamps fixed around its cylindrical surface and is driven to rotate around its axis in one specified direction. 